A father killed himself and his four young sons in a fume-filled car at a North Wales beauty spot, police said today

A father killed himself and his four young sons in a fume-filled car at a North Wales beauty spot, police said today.

Their bodies were found following a frantic manhunt by police from two counties after the man telephoned his estranged wife to warn her of his plan.

Today, the boys' mother was said to be "absolutely distraught" and was being comforted by relatives following the incident in the early hours of this morning.

It is thought the man, named locally as 38-year-old Keith Young, took the children, who were aged three, five, six and seven, to Wales yesterday as part of an arranged access visit but then gassed them in his car overnight.

Police were alerted after he telephoned the boys' mother at her home in the Winsford area of Cheshire, shortly after midnight and threatened to harm himself and their children.

The woman, known to neighbours as Samantha, dialled 999 and a search was launched.

Police were able to trace the mobile phone call to North Wales and alerted patrols there, where a police dog handler found the car less than two hours later.

He smashed the car window to drag the children out and tried to give them first aid but they were all declared dead on arrival at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

Mr Brereton said police were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident but that they had launched an investigation, together with Cheshire Police, to find out exactly what had led to the tragedy.

He added: "I can't begin to imagine how the children's mother must be feeling.

"In 29 years of police service I have come to realise that dealing with dead bodies is part of the job. But with the death of a child, and here we have four babies really, it is horrendous beyond my imagination.

"The officer who found the children will be offered counselling."

Post-mortems were due to be carried out later today to determine the causes of all five deaths although it appeared the children were gassed by their father. A petrol lawn mower was found in the back of the family car, an H-registered Mitsubishi Shogun.

North Wales police later named the dead boys as Joshua, aged seven, Thomas, aged six, Callum, aged five and three-year-old Daniel.

A spokeswoman said post-mortem examinations showed the boys died of carbon monoxide poisoning.Their father was officially named as Keith Young. He also died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Neighbours in the quiet Winsford cul-de-sac where the boys lived today said the dead man had "idolised" his children.

Neighbour Tom Challoner said: "He idolised those children. They were smashing little lads and you would hear them and see them playing out with each other and with the other children around here.

"The dad used to drive a tractor around the fields behind his house and give all the kids a ride."

Mr Challoner said the father "lived for his children". It is believed the couple had split.

"I cannot believe that we had just welcomed them back into the school community.

"When we have had proper time to grieve we will be looking for a suitable way to commemorate them.

"I can't imagine what their mum must be going through.

"She thought the world of her boys and, as far as I'm aware, their father did too."

Cheshire County Council today sent grief counsellors to both schools to help staff and pupils.

Director of Education and Community David Cracknell said: "This terrible tragedy has completely devastated staff and children at both schools.

"We shall do everything we can to help them through the very difficult weeks ahead."

:: In September 1995, 36-year-old Phillip Mitchell killed himself, his nine-year-old son Jonathan, seven-year-old daughter Cathryn and six-year-old twins Christopher and Jessica by gassing them in a fume-filled car. The family came from Northwich, which lies just five miles from Winsford.